8 MAJOR ROADBLOCKS TO INCLUSIVE STREETS

THE SENSELESS SIDEWALK CLOSURE

In South Florida (where I live) and many other growing regions, construction projects can close a full city block of sidewalk.

For example, in Miami's Little Havana on the historic main street Calle Ocho, the entire south sidewalk was closed for a city block for two years during construction.

Immediately after it was opened back up, it was blockaded again for an adjacent development site.

That means for four years total, people living on the south side of that street heading to a destination east of the closed sidewalk had to first cross the street north, travel along the north side of the sidewalk, and cross south, then reverse that sequence for the return trip.

That added four dangerous exposures to three-lane, one-way traffic on a thoroughfare where drivers are known to speed.

State records report that 49 pedestrians and 18 cyclists were struck by cars, six fatally, on a 20-block stretch of Little Havana's main street.

Scaffolding on and over sidewalk can problematic, too, so make sure adequate temporary curb ramps are built and the scaffolding structure doesn't obstruct or otherwise narrow the travel path to less than four feet, the ADA's general sidewalk requirement.